Thread: Whats the Lib Dems form of PR

Originally Posted by newspresenter

...the Lib Dems have now agreed to hold a referendum on the introduction of an AV system rather than their promised STV system.

No surprise there - the Alternative Vote (AV) electoral system is even harder for parties smaller than the Liberal 'Democrats' to win under than is the Single Transferable Vote (STV).

The Liberal 'Democrats' picked STV as their preferred voting system to elect MPs before UKIP beat them in the last two EU Elections held under the list system of proportional representation voting. Now some of the Liberal 'Democrat' party membership might accept AV because they think it would be harder for anti-EU UKIP to gain seats under than STV. The last thing that the Liberal 'Democrats' want is a proportional representation voting system which would lead to UKIP winning more seats than them in the House of Commons.

Originally Posted by newspresenter

.....in terms of the deal Mr Clegg struck with the Tories, the Lib Dems have now agreed to hold a referendum on the introduction of an AV system rather than their promised STV system.

As you quote in your posting number nine to this thread - the Alternative Vote electoral system is not proportional.

After the 2005 General Election it emerged that the had that election been held with the Alternative Vote electoral system the Labour Party - with a 36% vote share - would have had an even bigger majority in the House of Commons than they actually got with the First-Past-The-Post voting system used for electing MPs.

To answer the OP. None existant, although it was a great marketing scam that fooled a LOT of people. Just like the Tory 'fair petrol tax' promise.

I can see how that might work for you and David Cameron, though you are going to need both luck and judgment.Part of the problem is the preposterous enthusiasm with which the Lib Dems greet anything that they have had a say in.

Originally Posted by ryansoton

Full PR as used in the EU elections

Nope, sorry, the EU elections use a kind of Party List system, the Libdems want the SINGLE TRANSFERABLE VOTE (STV). STV is used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and for local elections in Scotland. It is a preferential system like AV but unlike AV it's proportional.

Originally Posted by Independent UKIP

Full PR was not used in the EU elections as England was split into artificial regions.

The manifesto (page 88) say they prefer a Single Transverable Vote system. If that were to be the case and single member constituency voting remains it would, in my opinion, entrench the liblabcon for years before people fully realised they don't have to vote for them to keep the other lot out. I doubt even Caroline Lucas would have won her seat with that system. If voting was in multi member constituencies UKIP, Green, BNP, EDP etc all have a chance. I therefore think we can rule out that happening.

STV is an multi-member constituency system so Carolin Lucas Would hav won her seat, and so will UKIP BNP and EnglishDEms if we hav it in the future.